Discovery #2: Obachans kick ass.

1 story..

1.) Last Friday I went for a run around the village. Over the hills and through the rice paddies I went, getting a little lost and running a little farther than I had expected. On my way out I passed a small "obachan" (old woman) who came up to my shoulders with a small straw rice paddy farmer hat on. As I return she beckons over to me to stop. So I do. She then informs me that she was 83 years old and farmed all the land that was surrounding us by herself (by informed I mean she spoke Japanese and this is what I gathered through hand motions and my dismal amount of Japanese). She then motioned to the corn fields next to us, which I responded with "oishi" (yummy). Next thing I know I am down in the fields with her, picking corn and wondering how on earth I got in this situation. After gathering about 15 ears of corn we put them in a bag. She hands the bag to me, as a gift. I accept gratefully and wave goodbye, hoping to run into her some other time. However, at this point I was about a mile away from my apartment so I trudged back, with a brown sack over my shoulder, though my tiny village that I now call home.